The best draft picks in Carolina Panthers history

Thanks to their blockbuster March trade, the Carolina Panthers will have the first selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. As their franchise is set to take shape for the next several years, we’ll take a look back at some of the organization’s greatest draft selections.

Carolina hopes that the first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft becomes half the player that Cam Newton was, who the team took with the first selection of the 2011 NFL Draft. He was one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in league history. He led the Panthers to a Super Bowl appearance in 2015, and also won league MVP that season.

Although his career was cut a little bit short due to injury, Luke Kuechly’s impact during his eight-year stint in the NFL cannot be understated. He led the NFL in tackles in two seasons, and was named to the All-Pro team five times. He flew all over the field, stuffing the run while jamming up intermediate routes.

Coming out of the University of North Carolina, Julius Peppers was known for his collegiate basketball skills and his college football prowess. He will one day be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame, as he amassed over 159 sacks in his career. 97 of those quarterback takedowns came as a member of the Panthers. Not bad for a basketball player.

Wide receivers aren’t always known as the most willing to mix it up, but Steve Smith Sr. backed down from no one. He relished the opportunity to embrace contact, seldom running out of bounds or giving less than 100% when blocking for his teammates. Smith spent 13 years with the Panthers, catching 836 passes and 67 touchdowns in that span.

Even though he was traded by the Panthers during the 2022 season, an argument can be made that Christian McCaffery is one of the best players the team ever drafted. He’s been one of the most well-rounded running backs in the NFL since he entered the league. McCaffery has the ability to burst through holes in the line of scrimmage, while also corralling passes to move the chains.

He may not get a lot of the same notoriety as other Panthers draft picks, but center Ryan Kalil was a phenomenal player. He spent 12 years with the Panthers, and was one of the best offensive linemen in the league during that time. Kalil reached the Pro Bowl five times, and was named an All-Pro twice in his career.

He hasn’t exactly had the most stable quarterback situation during his first five seasons in the NFL, but D.J. Moore’s talent cannot be denied. He set a career high in touchdown receptions in 2022 with seven, and his Panthers career ends with an interesting footnote. He was involved in the trade with the Chicago Bears that net Carolina the first pick in this year’s draft.

The Panthers teams in the early 2000’s were formidable, and their defenses were anchored by 6’4”, 300-pound defensive tackle Kris Jenkins. He was a force in the middle of their line, often occupying two blockers, which allowed his teammates to roam free and make plays on the ball. His numbers don’t jump out at fans, but he had a huge role on some memorable Panthers teams.

If Steve Smith was going to yell from the mountaintops about what he was going to do, Muhsin Muhammad elected to quietly make his presence felt. Muhammad had an interesting career, as he didn’t really start to become a factor until his third season in the league. He led the league in receiving yards in 2004, and was named to two Pro Bowls.

As most NFL fans know, football is one of the most physically demanding sports on the planet. Linebacker Thomas Davis can confirm that firsthand, having torn his ACL three times throughout his career. Despite the repeated and significant adversity, Davis kept coming back to the field, overcoming circumstances that would’ve sent many to an early retirement.

He wasn’t a Carolina Panther for very long, but it was clear that James Bradberry was one of the most talented cornerbacks in the NFL when he was drafted in 2016. He has since bounced around the NFL a little bit, but had some solid seasons for the Panthers in his four years there. He was reliable from a durability standpoint as well, missing only four games in his Carolina career.

Somehow, Josh Norman was only with the Carolina Panthers for four seasons, but it felt like he had a longer-lasting impact. He would routinely tell the media what he planned to do to opposing receivers on the field. One of his most memorable spats(and meltdowns) came against former New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. Norman made the All-Pro team in 2015, his final campaign with the franchise.

 It may be a little early to crown Brian Burns as one of the best picks in Carolina draft history, but he’s certainly well on his way. In his four NFL seasons, Burns has notched at least 7.5 sacks in each campaign, and set a career high with 12 sacks a year ago. He’s one reason why the franchise hopes that their rebuild can be a quick one, thanks to his immense ability to rush the passer.

Stacking Jon Beason’s early career resume with any other linebackers in the history of the game is a fun exercise. He finished second in Rookie Of The Year voting, made the All-Pro team in his second season, and was a fixture at the Pro Bowl until his fourth year. Injuries would then start to take their toll, but there’s no denying how great Beason was when he took the field.

Panthers fans hope that Jeremy Chinn can stay with the team for many years to come, because he’s one of those players who has a nose for the ball. He returned two fumbles for touchdowns in his rookie season, and is a defender who is willing to test the ball security of anyone who comes in his way.

Jordan Gross’ tenure with the Panthers spanned 11 years, which bridged the Jake Delhomme years with the Cam Newton era. His credentials got a boost later in his career, as he was named to the Pro Bowl three times in the second half of his time in the NFL. He also rarely missed games, which is a testament to his toughness.

It seems like the Panthers might have struck gold in the secondary once again, this time with cornerback Jaycee Horn. He’s the son of former NFL wide receiver Joe Horn, and the younger player certainly has grown up around the game. After having an injury riddled rookie year, Horn came back strong in year two, showing flashes of the potential the team saw when they drafted him in 2021.